19 March 2012, Satya Nilayam
Readings: 2 Sm 7:4-5a, 12-14a, 16; Rom 4:13, 16-18, 22; Lk 2:41-51a
A. INTRODUCTION
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
Today with great joy we celebrate Saint Joseph, the man of God's will, the guardian of Jesus and Mary, a faithful husband and a caring and loving father.
As we honour his faithfulness to God's plan for him, we ask that we too may embrace what God has in mind for us, and in it find our joy and our salvation.
Because we falter and fail, let us call to mind our sins and ask the Lord for pardon, light and strength.
B. HOMILY
1. Story
Once a child came running home from school very happy and went to his daddy saying, "Daddy, daddy, I've got a role in the Christmas play."
"That's wonderful" Daddy asked with excitement, "What role?"
"I'm the husband of Mary", the child said proudly.
Daddy's seemed shocked, "Husband's role?" He spoke with concern, "Never mind son. You may get some dialogues next year!"
2. Joseph the Silent Husband and Father
Today we celebrate the feast of a silent husband and father.
Who was St. Joseph? And what do we know about him? Most of what we do know of him is found in the First and Third Gospels of Matthew and Luke. But in none of the Gospels Joseph utters a word. No dialogue given to him… But we see him as a dynamic person. Always in action…
As the Holy Scriptures teach us, Joseph endured anxieties in life as we all do.
1. He was an ordinary carpenter settled in Nazareth. [Lk 2:4; Mt 13:55; Mk 6:3]
2. He was engaged to be married to Mary, and plans to leave her quietly when he learns she is pregnant [Mt 1:19] because he was a just man. But obeys to the command of the Lord in a dream and takes Mary as his wife. [Mt 1:24]
3. You can imagine his anxiety when he goes to Bethlehem for the registration, and "the time comes for Mary to deliver the child". He goes begging house to house for a place since there was no place in the inn. [Lk 2:7]
4. Obeying the angel, when he learns Herod is seeking to kill the Child, Joseph takes Mary and Child Jesus escapes to Egypt by night [Mt 2:14]. From Bethlehem the closest town in Egypt would be Alexandria about 500 km away.
5. The last mention of St. Joseph in the Holy Bible is when Jesus was twelve years old and the family made their annual pilgrimage. Imagine the anxiety when Jesus stays behind and after three days search they find him in the Temple. Yet, contrary to our experience, it is not Joseph but Mary questions Jesus.
In spite of being silent and remaining simple, Joseph is not an ordinary man. The Gospels tell us that Joseph came from a royal lineage, descended from David, the greatest king of Israel. When the angel who first tells Joseph about Jesus, he greets him "Joseph, son of David," which is a royal title that is later used for Jesus. Through Saint Joseph, Jesus legally became the rightful King of this world, over and above being the King of the Kingdom of God.
St. Joseph was a compassionate, caring and loving husband and a father. These days when family life is going through strains and difficulties, we ought to seek his heavenly help.
We are touched by the call of Joseph. God chooses those simple and humble to do his work. We have a great model in Joe the carpenter to show what it means to put God in first place, always and everywhere.
May St. Joseph intercede for us to be faithful to our vocation.
Vally Mendonca, S.J.
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